What's Up With Empathy?
by TheDarkCharmedOne
Summary: A hunt for a bothersome witch leaves Sam cursed with the ability of empathy, with no way to control it. Desperate to help his son, John calls in a favor from an old friend, one Phoebe Halliwell. [Preseries. AU. Sam:16, Dean:20. Crossover with Charmed.]
1. Cursed

What's

Up With

Empathy?

BY: Alexandra Jones

Cursed

Sam stared out the window of the Impala, highly agitated. Dean, John, and he were on a hunt for a witch that refused to die. Well, it was more like Dean and John were hunting and he was just doing the hours upon hours of research and they didn't even appreciate it. Sam was tired of them getting to be the heroes while was just the guy on the sidelines. It didn't help that he and his dad were going at it all the time. Anything from John not having a job that didn't have them in mortal peril every other day to Sam's lack of enthusiasm for hunting was fought over in the car or their current motel. Dean always intervened before it came to blows between them, but Sam knew that he could totally take his dad.

John at the present moment was discussing the details of the hunt with Dean. He glanced at Sam.

"You know what you're supposed to do right Sam?" he asked gruffly. Sam rolled his eyes, but shook his head. Apparently this wasn't good enough for John as he asked again.

"Yes, dad I know what I'm supposed to do, okay I do it every hunt." Sam snapped.

"Don't take that tone with me." John growled, glaring at Sam. Sam glared right back, but to Dean's relief neither Sam nor John said anything; he really didn't feel like stopping a fight.

They pulled over and Dean and John got out of the car, leaving Sam sulking in the back seat. Sam glared at them as they got their guns out from the truck and his glare intensified as Dean came up to the window. He flinched under Sam's intense gaze and gave him a weak smile. When Sam's glare didn't waver he sighed and went to join his dad. Sam slouched lower in the seat and his bad mood intensified.

Dean and John were planning on ambushing the creature, but apparently along with its talent of burning people alive the witch could also read minds and attacked them well before they were ready. Now, they were busy dodging fireballs and trying to keep from getting roasted alive.

"Dean, watch out!" John shouted as another fire ball was launched at Dean. Dean ducked just as it whizzed past where his head was two seconds before. Then, the attacked stopped and John instantly knew something was up.

Dean glanced around warily before a horrible, blood curdling scream reached his ears.

"SAM!" He shouted running back towards the Impala hoping desperately that Sam was okay. But, his fears were quelled when it became apparent that Sam wasn't the one that was in danger. The witch had a huge bullet hole right between her eyes and Sam was still holding the smoking gun.

A minute passed before Sam noticed that he was still holding the gun. He dropped it quickly and leaned against the car shaking. Dean rushed over to him and inspected him for bruises or injuries.

"You OK?" Dean asked, concern riddling his voice.

"I killed her …" Was Sam's faint reply. Dean cast a worried glance at his dad. He got Sam into the backseat and slid into the passenger seat with another worried glance at Sam. John got into the car and quickly peeled off.

They drove for hours in an uncomfortable silence before it was finally broken by Sam.

"I'm screwed."

Those were the only words he spoke, but Dean could have laughed out loud. He was afraid his brother might've been seriously fucked up after that incident. He cleared his throat.

"How so?" Dean asked trying not to sound too interested.

"I think that she cursed me before she died." Dean turned back to the front and cleared his throat in the absence of a reply.

"What did she say?" John asked not letting the worry he felt reach his voice.

"It's more like what she did. She touched my face and whispered something in a weird language that sounded kinda like Latin. The only thing she said in English was that my soul would be in eternal torment forever."

"Oh yeah, you're totally screwed." Dean snickered. Sam sent a fierce glare at the back of his head.

"Sure, just laugh at my misfortune."

For the rest of the trip Sam stewed quietly in the back seat while Dean continued to laugh.

Back at their motel room John had quickly gotten to work. He asked Sam to repeat what the witch had said in Latin, and while it might've not been accurate, John got the gist of it.

"I think that she may have given you the ability of empathy." He stated.

"Um dad, what's that?" Dean asked.

"It's the ability to feel the emotions of others and sometimes manipulate them." Sam jumped in. "But, why would that be a curse?"

"If the empath can't control their power the emotions of everyone around them touch his or her mind driving them slowly and painfully towards insanity." John explained.

Sam sat heavily on one of the beds. "Well, that's just great."

After a fitful night of sleep Sam, finally woke up feeling the same as he had yesterday.

_'Maybe her curse didn't work.' _Sam thought hopefully. He stretched and yawned, he looked at Dean and his dad, both of whom were still asleep. They wouldn't mind if he took a short walk, would they?

Sam slipped on his boots, swiftly crossed the room, and quietly left the room. His hopes of the curse being ineffective were dashed as soon as he got outside. His head felt like it was being split open. Anger, hate, lust, impatience, and envy all crashed around in his mind creating an unbearable pain in his mind.

He stumbled back into the room falling with a loud thud that instantly woke Dean and John. Dean rubbed his eyes and blinked sleepily.

"What the hell –"He stopped in midsentence when he noticed Sam on the floor. Dean jumped out of the bed and raced over to Sam, who was now unconscious.

"DAD!" Dean shouted while trying desperately to rouse Sam. John was over in an instant. They quickly carried Sam to the Impala and laid him down on the backseat. John peeled off at breakneck speed and as Dean tried to keep himself from being flung into the windshield, he prayed to anyone that might be listening that Sam would get out of this bind alive.

(A/N: Review please. Do you think I should continue? And since I have no clue who to pair up could you guys stated who you would like to be paired up in your reviews.)


	2. How to Help

Author's Notes: The pairings are Sam/Dean, John/Patty (mother of the Charmed Ones), Piper/Leo, and I have not yet decided who I'll pair Phoebe, Prue, and Paige up with yet.

As you see above I have paired Sam and Dean together this, of course, means WINCEST. DO NOT review saying the pairing is sick and wrong. I'll either ignore you and/or throw giant cyber boulders at you.

2. Pain

(_8:54 AM, Glenbrook Hospital)_

Dean watched as John paced back and forth restlessly the steady click of John's shoes slowly and painfully driving him insane. A few minutes passed and all that was heard was the announcements over the PA and the sound of John's shoes and finally Dean snapped.

"For God's sake Dad, stop pacing. Sam's gonna be okay. You know how stubborn he is, he's not gonna give up without a fight."

John sighed and sat next to Dean.

"I know that Dean, it's just that if we can't break this curse or find a way to help Sam, I don't want him to die thinking that I hated him. Half the time we were travelling we were going at it. I never sat down and really talked to him."

Dean massaged his temples. He could feel a migraine coming on; the stress of dealing with Sam left him drained and in no mood to comfort his father. Dean opened his mouth, ready to say a few words of comfort when John slapped himself on the forehead and without an explanation sprang up and raced down the hallway. Dean sighed and slid down in his seat, it was going to be a long day.

_(9:02 AM, in the same hospital, but in a different hallway)_

John tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for the woman in front of him to get off the phone. She had been there since John had gotten there and she kept putting more money in when her time was up. He resisted the urge to shoot her as she continued her mindless chatter.

Finally, he couldn't take it anymore he tapped the woman on the shoulder and she turned to look at him.

"What the hell do you want?" she snapped obviously annoyed that John had interrupted her conversation.

"I was wondering if I could use the phone" John said, trying the polite approach.

"Isn't it obvious that I'm already using it, asshole?" She turned back around. John's eye twitched and he grabbed the phone from her and slammed it down on the receiver.

"Listen, my son is in a coma and nearly dead, I've just found someone who could help him and I need to call her. You get in my way and I'll rip your spine out through your ass and play jump rope with it. Understand me?" John growled. The woman squeaked and ran down the hallway.

John smirked and put a quarter in. He dialed the number from memory and waited as the phone rang.

"Halliwell residence who's calling please?"

"My name is John Winchester and I'm calling for Phoebe Halliwell"

On the other line Prue's eyes narrowed and she hoped to God that it wasn't another one of Phoebe's boyfriends from New York.

"What do you want her for?" She asked suspiciously.

"I need her help."

"For what?"

"A problem"

Prue was getting annoyed. It was probably one of Phoebe's boyfriends.

"Listen, Phoebe isn't interested, so don't call here again." Prue slammed the phone down just as Phoebe came down the stairs.

"I'm not interested in who?"

"Another one of your boyfriends called here looking for you." Prue glared at her. Phoebe sighed.

"What was his name?" She asked

"John Winchester."

Phoebe's eyes widened and her jaw dropped.

"Why the hell did you hang up on him? He wasn't one of my boyfriends Prue! He was a Hunter!" Phoebe exclaimed. She shoved Prue away from the phone and looked for the number in the memory.

"Great, the number's unavailable; he was probably calling from a payphone. Thanks Prue he could've had a lead on a demon."

"How the hell was I supposed to know that he was a Hunter when every other day one of your boyfriends calls looking for you." Prue's voice rose in volume. Before Phoebe was able to shout her reply, the phone rang again.

Phoebe grabbed the phone before Prue could and hoped it was John calling again.

"Hello?"

"Is this Phoebe?" Phoebe recognized John's voice instantly and sighed in relief before shooting a glare at Prue.

"Yeah, how ya doin' John?"

"Oh thank God it's you."

"Sorry 'bout the way my sister acted on the phone just now. She forgot to take her pills this morning." Phoebe ignored the scandalized look Prue sent her way.

John chuckled. "That's okay Phoebe." His laughter died quickly as he got to the point. "Phoebe do you remember my sons?"

"Sam and Dean right?"

"Yeah, well Sam was cursed with the power of empathy."

"Sam's the awkwardly tall one if I remember correctly."

"Yeah"

"Okay, but why would you call me for this?"

"Aren't you an empath?" John asked exasperated.

"Well, yes, but I don't see how I could help you."

"Listen Phoebe he doesn't know how to control his powers and this morning when they were activated he collapsed. We're in a hospital now and he's in a coma."

"Erm, I'm sorry about the coma thing and all, but you still haven't told me how I can help you."

"If I can get him to you could you teach him how to control it?"

"I don't know."

"Please, Phoebe I really need your help. He's going to die if you don't help him."

Phoebe felt herself caving in and let out a breath.

"Fine. I'll help you, but –"Phoebe was cut off by the sound of the dial tone and as she hung up the phone she wondered just what she had gotten herself into.

John ran down the hall and skidded to halt in front of Dean.

"I've found a way to help Sam, but we've gotta get him outta here."

"How the hell are we supposed to do that?" Dean quickly stood up and pushed John back out into the practically empty hallway so no one would overhear them. Dean rubbed his temples and glanced at his father.

"Do you have a plan?" he asked.

"Well, not exactly."

"C'mon Dad!"

"I'm thinkin'."

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air as John tried desperately to come up with some semblance of a plan. A few moments passed before John had come up with a good plan, (at least that's what he thought of it at the time) although it was admittedly half-assed and there were so many holes in it that it could've make really good Swiss cheese.

Anyway, John dragged Dean into a corner and whispered his plan and ignored Dean's looks of incredulity as he dragged Dean off to find a member of the staff.

Forty-five minutes later Dean and John strapped Sam into the backseat and peeled off before the hospital staff noticed that one of their patients and two of their staff members were missing. John and Dean hit the interstate at 85 mph.

"So where exactly are we goin'?" Dean asked

"San Francisco."

"Cool"

John simply rolled his eyes and kept on driving.

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in soooo long things have been really hectic for me so thanks for waiting and thank you to everyone who have favorited and reviewed my story.


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